The risks of the Evil Twin network
*
The
owner of the rogue connection network possessing the same SSID can launch man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks to
intercept any data that is exchanged to and from the device.
*
Free
programs over the Internet give the attacker the ability to decode web access
packets to reveal login IDs and passwords in clear text.
* The
attacker can gain control over email accounts and social networks, scan the
contacts list, view text messages and more.
* An
attacker can also send a spoof SMS that claims to be from someone on the
contacts list of the device.
* The
attacker can trick the user into visiting a page that looks genuine, but is
actually a page that phishes for personal and financial information.
* The
attacker can install key-loggers on your device, that will send him whatever
keys you press on your keyboard, including your passwords and credit card
information.
How to avoid Evil Twin attacks
Unfortunately, smartphones do not have an option to
disable active probing for wireless networks. The best solution to avoid such
attacks is to simply turn the WiFi OFF when one leaves the security of home or
office networks. This is a simple one-step process on most devices so there can
be no excuses here. Alternatively, one can also make use of an application that
turns the WiFi ON/OFF in specific geographical locations.
Additionally, always remember to
turn your WiFi OFF when there are no active networks in range, in order to
avoid such attacks.
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